The three most expensive real estate transactions of 2012

In New York City, there seems to be a new penchant for super high end, prestigious penthouses in coveted buildings.

#3: Penthouse at 15 Central Park West, NYC – $88 million.
While the sale of this penthouse was reported in December 2011, the transaction actually closed in 2012, thus making the list for 2012. Former Citigroup CEO Sandy Weill and his wife purchased their full floor penthouse “apartment” for $43.7 million in 2007 and received their full their asking price of $88 million. Profiting just over two times what they paid 4 years ago, they are donating the proceeds to charities. Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev, purchased the condo for his 22-year old daughter Ekaterina, who is studying at an undisclosed university. She will stay at this apartment with a wraparound terrace, 33 feet wide living room with 12 1/2 foot floor to ceiling glass windows and doors and one of a kind oval bedroom, when she is in NYC.

#2: Penthouse at One 57, NYC – Over $90 million
Penthouses in high rises were the talk of the city as well as the real estate community in 2012. The #2 most expensive property sold is this still yet to be build penthouse in NYC. The all glass building faces Central park will have 90 floors and shoot 1000+ feet up into the Manhattan skyline, when completed and be the tallest residential building when completed. And yes, this was the building where the Hurricane Sandy literally knocked over a crane being used for construction. Good thing that was eventually secured, as it would have been very bad juju.

#1: Big O Ranch, Montana – Undisclosed sales price, but property listed for $132 million.
Not quite a true residential property, but this topped the list as the highest real estate transaction for 2012. The founders of Kelly-Moore paint assembled this working ranch in Montana over the last 25 yearsand sold it to billionaire Stanley Kroenke, who is already the 10th largest landowner in the U.S. and also owns the Denver Nuggest and the St. Louis Rams. Sitting on 124,000 acres, this Augusta, Montana farm is one of the largest agricultural operations in the west of the Rocky Mountains.